Wounds
by gingerbritishgypsyelf
Summary: When Kara and the Doctor get a call from Martha to take care of a creature terrorizing lower London, they come quickly. But when something far worse happens, will Kara or the Doctor survive the blow?
1. Chapter 1

Wounds-Part 1

Martha had called them, Martha Jones. Something was happening in London and she needed the Doctor. Kara had been puzzled when a cell phone had started ringing and even more so when the Doctor picked it up and said in a surprised voice,

"Martha?"

Kara assumed (correctly) that this was Martha Jones, his old companion, so soon as he hang up, she bombarded him with questions.

"Was that Martha Jones? What was she calling you for? Is everything all right?"

The Doctor kept his mind sealed shut and started up the Tardis as Kara gave him a well-practiced death stare.

"You can't let me go in and help you without knowing what's going on," she said sternly, "Go on, what's happening?"

"There's this creature, a myth sort of, rampaging the streets of lower London. Only a few people have seen it, but Martha treated a man with injuries that were supposedly done by that creature. They were huge and looked like something done by Bigfoot. So we're checking it out."

"It's like something off the telly," Kara said excitedly, "A mysterious creature, only seen by a few."

The Doctor flashed his 100-watt smile at her, "Brilliant, isn't it?"

She matched his grin, "Yeah, fantastic!"

_Two hours and sixteen minutes later…_

Running down the street, his brown coat flapping behind him, the Doctor glanced over one shoulder. A large, furry, creature about nine or ten feet tall ran after him on its hind legs, its long, pointed snout and small, beetle-black eyes following him as he ran. The creature roared as it ran after him and the Doctor fixed his eyes on the upcoming corner. As he rounded it and dashed into another alley, he yelled,

"Kara, now!"

As the creature came up to the corner, the redhead dumped a bucket of green sludge onto its head. The sludge oozed down the creature and it began to shrink until a medium-sized brown rat sat in its place, sitting in a pool of green sludge.

"So…" Kara began, "Radioactivity…"

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed, "Not so good."

The rat examined the pair cautiously until Kara stomped one foot and said, "Shoo!" Then, it scurried off into the sewers to rejoin its companions.

"So all we need to do now is go speak with the idiot who's been dumping radioactive waste?" Kara asked.

"Yeah. I'm betting it's from the drug-testing facility over six streets or so. Shouldn't be a problem," he replied.

"Good," Kara said. They walked back through the maze of alleys until they could see the main road a few hundred meters away. Giving him a sideways glance and a mischievous grin, Kara called, "Race you there!"

Dashing out, Kara rounded the corner, looking over one shoulder to see if the Doctor was joining her. That was when she ran into the man.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, taking a few steps back. The man she had run into was dressed in long jeans, a pair of boots, a grey sweater, and a black ski mask. In one hand, he held a small bag. That was when Kara noticed the broken store window and the pistol in his other hand. Backing up, Kara slowly put her hands up,

"Whoa, I don't want any trouble," she kept her voice steady and reasonable. His gun was pointed at her chest and she looked him in the eye. He looked back, his pale blue eyes hard and unreadable. Kara stayed calm and carefully looked into his mind. His name was Mark Bartulous, he was twenty-eight and he had a-

Just then, the Doctor rounded the corner. He was strolling along at his swaggering, self-confident pace. If the situation hadn't been so tense, Kara would have been disappointed that he had decided not to race her. The Doctor looked at Kara, then the man, then back again. His hands slowly raised into the air to show he was empty-handed. Kara could taste his fear, and the growing agitation of the robber-Mark.

"Listen to me," the Doctor began calmly, but he was interrupted by a loud bang and Kara felt as though someone had punched her in the ribs. She fell onto the pavement, attempting to draw in air as Mark ran down the street as sirens began to wail in the distance. The shop had a silent alarm.

"Kara!"

_I should have been there. My companions can't get hurt, they're my responsibility. Kara. Oh Rassilion, not my Kara, not Kara Angel. Not now, not ever. _

His thoughts invaded her mind, strong and with the taste of fear, of pure terror and of sadness. He dropped onto his knees next to her, looking at her in panic, helpless. His brown eyes, those ancient, old eyes, looked at her wound, then her face.

"Help!" he shouted, "Someone call an ambulance!" The police cars arrived and an officer called for backup on his radio. A passerby, one with blonde hair and pale blue eyes, pulled off her scarf and put it on the red spot on Kara's chest, the one blooming red roses of blood. With the other hand, she pushed her oversized sunglasses onto her head. The Doctor removed her hand from Kara's chest and put his own on the scarf, trying to hold in the warm, red, life that was coming out.

"Doc- Doc-" she tried to speak, but when she breathed it hurt, and she sputtered.

"I'm here, it's all right." His other hand stroked her hair; it was trembling and his eyes were wet.

"It- it hurts." She had something in her lungs.

"Shhh, I know, I know it hurts. You're going to be fine. Don't you give up on me Kara Angel. Don't you dare give up on me now."

The paramedics got her onto a stretcher and climbed into an ambulance. The Doctor climbed in after them, flashing his psychic paper. There was the buzz of machines and someone put something on her chest and it hurt so much that she screamed, which made it hurt more. They put a mask over her face and she could breathe but it hurt too badly. Slowly, everything went black.

_I hope the Doctor will be all right._

**Dum-da-da-dum-dum- DUUUUUM!! Cliff-hanger!! Is Kara dead or just unconscious? I know, I hate them too… and yet this gives me a sick sort of pleasure. I'm so mean. I hope to finish this soon, I have it on paper, just not typed. I'd love reviews please!!**


	2. Chapter 2

Wounds-Part 2

She woke up and all she could see was white.

_Oh my God I died??_ Was her first thought. Her second was, _Crap, I wanted a driver's license! _Quickly followed by, _I hope the Doctor will be all right, _and_ What's that beeping noise?_

It very slowly occurred to her that she was staring at the ceiling of a hospital room.

_The man…his name was Mark…he- he shot me! Am I all right? I'm not dead, that's good. I'm breathing by myself…also good. My heart rate is steady…yeah, I'm okay. I don't even hurt, I just feel kind of lazy and sleepy. I'm alive! That's actually brilliant! I can still get my driver's license!_

After being overjoyed about not being dead, she was immediately concerned about the Doctor. Her whole body felt heavy and her mind felt slow. Having been in the hospital before, Kara recognized the feel of painkillers.

She looked around the room with her eyes; her head felt much too heavy to lift. In a blue upholstered chair with light brown wood arms and legs, sat the Doctor, his face buried in his hands. Kara swallowed a few times, getting moisture to her dry throat.

"If it's possible you're hair looks messier than ever," she rasped at him. It was the most lighthearted thing she could think of. His head shot up instantly though, and he scrambled over to her bedside.

"Kara!" His eyes were wide and his face split into an overjoyed smile.

"Doctor," she replied, smiling, "If my arms weren't so heavy, I'd hug you." He put his arms around her neck, mindful of the many tubes and wires.

"I'll do the hugging for both of us then." Kara leaned her head against his, her eyes tearing up. She had thought that she was dead, that she would never see him or her family again. The one thing she hadn't expected happened, she felt warm tears dripping onto the back of her neck.

"Shhh, it's all right," Kara murmured, making the colossal effort to lift an arm. She succeeded and rubbed his back, discovering that her arm felt much less stiff and heavy once she used it.

"I'm fine now, it's all right." When he leaned back to look at her, his eyes were glad, though still wet with tears.

"Use some of the tissues in the box on the bedside table," she told him fondly as he handed her a tissue to dry her eyes with.

_Painkillers make me teary…but what's the Doctor on? I've never seen him tear up before. _

"Nice to have you back," he said, wiping the wetness off his own face and beaming at her.

"How long've I been out?" she rasped, her throat still dry as a bone, "And can I get some water?"

The Doctor hit a button and Martha walked in. It was then that Kara noticed she was in a private ward and there was another bed next to hers, empty.

"Hullo Kara," Martha said cheerfully, "And how do you feel this afternoon? Practically this evening, now though."

"Doctor, I'm in a private room?" Kara asked.

"He wouldn't let you go anywhere else," Martha commented, "But that's not important right now. How do you feel?"

"Sore, dizzy, thirsty." Kara said the three words and looked back at the Doctor. "Seriously though, a private room? How much did you spend on that?"

"Money isn't a problem for me," he replied calmly, "Now listen to Martha."

"Now you punctured a lung, cracked a rib, and we did manage to get the bullet out safely. No complications, all you need is rest."

"This is the first time you've been able to understand anything we've said, or respond to it," the Doctor said. "You woke up twice in the past thirty-six hours."

"I've been out thirty-six hours?" Kara asked, a little alarmed.

"You've been out three days. You lost a lot of blood," Martha told her.

"Am I allowed to eat and drink and whatnot now? My throat is dryer than the Sahara and I'm starving."

"I'll go get you something," Martha said, "Normally nurses or someone would, but I'm getting the Doctor something too. Maybe he'll actually eat now." She bustled out and Kara was able to properly get a look at the Doctor. His face was covered in stubble, he had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked gaunt.

"You haven't been eating?" Kara asked, outraged.

"Well, um," he began uncomfortably.

"And when was the last time you showered? Or slept?"

"I was worried about you!" he defended himself.

"So you don't eat or sleep for 72 hours? Or more? Have you gone mad?"

"You were my responsibility and you got hurt. That's not supposed to happen," he said in a low voice.

"Neither is self-inflicted starvation!" Kara shouted, though it made her throat feel even more dry. It was then that Martha entered bearing two trays of food.

"You're talking sense into him then? Good." She set down one tray in front of Kara, and the other in front of the Doctor.

"My shift ends in a few minutes so my friend Peggy will look after you tonight. All right?"

"Could you get me a book or something?" Kara asked, "I'm not really tired, I just want to do a bit of reading."

"All I really have are a few textbooks, nothing interesting," Martha said.

"That'll be fine, just something to busy my mind," Kara said, glancing at the Doctor when he wasn't looking.

Martha walked out and Kara began stretching her arms before beginning to eat her food. The Doctor finished his food as Martha came into the room carrying a heavy-looking textbook.

"Perfect," Kara said, holding out one hand. Martha handed it to her and Kara smiled as the Doctor slowly stood, holding his now-empty tray, facing Martha, his back to Kara. As he stood, Kara swung the book so it hit him-hard-on the back of the head.

As the Doctor fell to the ground, Kara handed Martha the book, saying simply, "He wouldn't have slept for another night if I hadn't done that, and I wasn't sure that you'd be allowed to give him anything."

Martha's eyes were wide as she took back the book, set it down, and maneuvered the Doctor into the hospital bed next to Kara's.

"Sorry about that," Kara said apologetically.

"I probably would have done it too, eventually…though I probably would have just injected him with something," Martha replied, a little unsettles by Kara's ease with the situation.

"Right then, have a nice night," Kara said, smiling.

"Yeah," Martha said, picking up her book. As she closed the door, Kara heard her wonder if the Doctor was all right in the head for choosing someone like Kara. Her thought was actually more along the lines of _The new girl is certainly effective. No wonder she gets into trouble. She looks human, but being able to move about so quickly after waking up…that's not exactly normal._

Once Martha was gone, Kara winced. Swinging that book had hurt her rib and now that no one was around, she continued eating, aware of the growing pain in her chest. The painkillers were wearing off. Thankfully the ones she was on weren't making her nauseous, but she didn't want to take any more medications and she didn't want to go back to sleep.

She looked over at the Doctor. Smiling fondly, she watched him breathe, hoping he wouldn't be too angry when he came to.

_Up…down…up…down…up…down…up…down…_

Watching his chest rise and fall was mind-numbing and Kara resisted sleep, determined to be awake when the Doctor came to. He woke up about an hour later, wincing and rubbing his head.

"Bloody hell, that hurt."

Kara stifled a chuckle as the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, trying to clear it.

"Nice to see you awake, I was starting to think I'd hit you too hard," she commented.

"That was you?" he asked, astonished, "But you just woke up a bit ago. How could you've possibly lifted that book and knocked me out?"

"I'm a fast healer, always have been; I recovered from a tonsillectomy in half of the normal time. The doctors were fascinated, but my dad took me home before they could prod me with things and take blood and all that. Not the best hospital experience I've ever had," she said, reflecting, "Though I did spend an awful lot of time in the hospital as a child. Now that I think about it, yeah. Mostly emergency room, though. I was always falling or something, but I never really seemed to get injured. Lucky I guess."

"But why'd you knock me out?" the Doctor asked, puzzled, "I haven't done anything, have I?"

"Unless idiocy is a crime, no," Kara told him, "But you were going to sit with me, awake, tonight as well. I was hoping that this would keep you out long enough to recover a bit. Though, asking Martha to dose you with sleeping pills probably would have been a better idea."

The Doctor just sat for a while, staring at her.

"What?" Kara asked, "This was for your own good. Sometimes I wonder if your common sense was shoved out one ear or something."

"You just remind me of someone is all," the Doctor said.

"Who?"

"Just someone I met once."

"Okay, be vague, fine. I'm not really in the mood to drag it out of you."

They both sat in silence for a while.

"Doctor, go to sleep," Kara sighed, after watching his eyelids droop.

"I'm fine, Kara."

"No, you're not. Go to sleep. I'm fine, Martha said all I needed was rest. Besides, I'd be willing to bet all my savings that you haven't gone and visited the drug testing facility, and you're going tomorrow to stop the dumping."

"Kara," he began, but she interrupted.

"Just go to sleep. Goodness knows you need it."

He sighed and kicked off his trainers, pulled off his long wool coat, then pulled off his jacket as well, and loosened his tie. Rolling onto his side, the Doctor closed his eyes and was asleep in minutes.

_However did he manage without someone to look after him?_ Kara wondered. Then, she too, drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_Four weeks later…_

Kara stood at the edge of her bed at home and stood, breathing deeply as Martha had encouraged ever since the day she woke up. The incident with her knocking out the Doctor had actually done a bit of damage to her rib, but it was now healed most of the way. Her lung was still a bit tender and laughing too hard hurt, as did coughing, but Martha had assured her that she would be better soon. Glancing around, Kara made sure that no one was around. She listened with her mind. Both of her parents were downstairs, and the dog was sitting by her open bedroom door.

_Come on Kara, the sooner you can walk, the sooner you can get back into that Tardis and fly around again. _

She took a wobbly step, then another, then another, carefully walking around her room. Part of her fast recovery was due to her body's quick healing process; the other part was due to some highly advanced medical technology from the Tardis. This was the second day that she was walking around her room. She was so concentrated that she didn't hear the footsteps up the stair.

"You just have to push it, don't you?" The Doctor leaned against her doorframe, smiling as he watched her totter around her room in her loose, pale blue-green nightgown. Kara glared back as she made a third full circle and started on a fourth.

"I went to ancient Greece yesterday," he said with a sideways grin.

"Really?" her face lit up, as he had known it would.

"If you agree to sit back down, have a bit of tea, and take a pill, I'll tell you about it."

"You drive a hard bargain," she grumbled, accepting the bright orange pill from the bottle he had taken from his pocket. Her mother walked in as she swallowed the pill, taking a sip of water from the cup on her nightstand.

"Mum, you didn't have to do this," Kara said with a smile, "I could've had the Doctor go get it."

"I've missed you sweetheart," her mother, Maria Angel, replied. "Besides, I'm going back to Africa once you're better and who knows when I'll see you again, what with both of us traveling and all?"

"Don't get eaten by a lion or anything," Kara commented teasingly. Her mother swatted the top of her head, "Don't be cheeky. I brought you lunch. Tea, a bit of chicken and greens, and some nice bread from Mrs. Fillibuster next door."

"Thanks mum," Kara said, giving her mother a peck on the cheek as she set the tray on her daughter's lap.

"You two have a nice talk," Mrs. Angel said, smiling as she went back down the stairs.

Kara dug into her lunch while the Doctor told her tales of the first Olympics, myths from the past, strange customs, and a little girl he had met whom had mistaken him for her father.

"She wouldn't listen when I told her!" the Doctor exclaimed, "I said very clearly 'I'm sorry, I'm not you're dad, but I'd be glad to help you find him.' but she just laughed and took my hand and followed me about until this woman saw her with me and took her back. Her husband was all ready to fight me, he did look quite a bit like me actually, but I explained the situation and they were quite forgiving. I did get kicked by the little girl's older brother though."

Kara laughed, even though it made her ribs ache.

"Thanks, you know, for visiting me and everything. I know you don't do domestic and I really appreciate you coming to see me every couple days."

"I have to. Otherwise how would you get your pills? Besides, the Tardis misses you."

"I miss her too. Not having that giant mind with me all the time is driving me mad."

"So, how've you been?"

"Good. My roommate, Sharon, came to see me. I share a flat with her. Or I did before I came traveling with you. She brought some videos of my Mum's show, some of the really early episodes. She filmed it when she was pregnant with me, did you know that? It was really funny."

"So she's been doing that nature program all around the world since before you were born?"

"Yeah, pretty much. It's mostly Africa, but she's been other places too. My dad and me, we'd go with her when we were on holiday, but my mum and dad wanted me to get a steady education so we didn't go with her year-round."

Kara lay back against her pillows, "I think my mum gave me this much food for a reason, some of it's for you."

"What, me?"

"She thinks you're a bit on the skinny side."

"What is with everyone and my weight?" he asked, as Kara giggled, "No, honestly, everyone just _has_ to comment."

"Just have some chicken and shut up," she teased, "I can't eat all of this myself."

The Doctor sighed and took a chicken leg, munching on it, then having a slice of bread as well.

"Happy?"

"Hardly, but it'll do," she said with a grin.

They talked for a few hours, then the Doctor left, promising to come back in a few days.

"So who is he then?" her mother asked as she walked in.

"Mum I told you, he's the Doctor. He's been here for a couple of weeks now. I even took him to meet you a couple months ago when we started traveling."

"But you didn't say anything about him, sweetheart. I know he's a doctor, but what's his name, and how come he visits so often? Even Sharon doesn't show up this much."

"Mum, he's just…the Doctor. He's my friend and he feels guilty for not being there or something when I got shot, even though he couldn't have done anything."

"So you're just friends, he's not a boyfriend or anything?"

"I've told you about five times now, he's just a friend. We aren't like that."

"All right, just checking."

"I'm fine," the took her mother's hand and squeezed it, "I can take care of myself."

"This coming from the girl with the gunshot wound."

Kara chuckled and her mother smiled, "Do you want me to bring you a book or something?"

"No thanks, I think I'll just take a nap."

"All right sweet heart, I love you."

"Night mum."

As soon as her mother had gone down the stairs, Kara got up and began her steady course around her bedroom.

_Three weeks later…_

Kara checked her bag for the last time, making sure she had everything she needed. The sound of the Tardis landing echoed a block or so away and Kara zipped up her bag, kissed her mum and dad goodbye, and walked down her front steps, strolling down the walk.

The Doctor arrived next to her a couple of minutes later,

"Took you long enough," she teased.

He smiled and they both waved to Kara's parents.

"I love you!" she called, "And if you need to phone me, just call the number I gave you, all right?"

"Bye! Love you!" her father called.

"Have fun!" her mother yelled.

Kara grinned and waved again before strolling back to the blue police box she called home, side-by-side with the Doctor.

"Where are we going first?" she asked, shrugging her bag off as they entered the doors into the Tardis.

"I dunno, anywhere in the universe," the Doctor said with a grin. "Tell you what? Pick three numbers."

Kara laughed and dropped her bag by a pillar.

"Those are my favorite three words."

_**End.**_


End file.
